On Tuesday, I took a few hours out of my business vacation to New Orleans to share with you the podcast version of the Best and Worst of WWE Elimination Chamber 2013. A lot of people liked it. A lot didn’t. Several of you called me lazy for providing free content because it wasn’t the exact free content I’d imagined when I left for NOLA.
Regardless, I loved it (as anyone who gets what Trew To The Game is actually going for would), and the end of the episode promised a part 2 about our experience in the front row of the WrestleMania XXX press conference. If you didn’t like the first one (because it wasn’t a straight-forward, analytical podcast and was me having fun with my friends) (because you hate that I have friends) (and further accusations), give this one a shot. It’s basically just me and Trew going OH MAN HOW GREAT WAS THIS THING WE GOT TO DO, with a healthy sprinkling of “WWE brought in a bunch of black people to dance for us in-between the white people talking.”
Please click on this photo of me and John Cena not giving a rip about the announced Best and Worst posting schedule to listen.
(I was doing his old “Untouchable” taunt)
(it is hard to do with one hand)
If you’d like a more direct link, please follow this to your podcasting destination.
Here is the full press conference video, for reference:
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Maximum Trolling: Engaged.
I’m gonna listen the butt outta this.
samesies!
just much, much later on tonight.
The guy you shit on more than anyone else in the WWE, and you get him to pose for a handshake pic with you while you do one of his taunts? Wow.
Hey, I have a semi-cold war with my local weatherman and I still got my picture taken with him. You get starstruck.
I’d never take a picture with Gallagher though and he knows why.
He’s also the face of the company and one of the like 5 most important wrestlers in WWE history.
One thing people never seem to get is that I’m able to differentiate the people from the fictional characters they portray on screen. When I say “John Cena sucks,” I’m saying John Cena the character sucks, and the choices that’ve been made in his portrayal/execution are bad. John Cena the dude seems awesome. He hangs out with sick kids and shit. How am I not supposed to respect that guy? Because he hangs with porn stars, too? I don’t give 1% of a shit about what goes on backstage.
I like wrestlers. I will take a picture with basically any wrestler. The only wrestling-related personality I’ve ever chosen to not take a picture with is Mike Tyson.
Additionally, I’m a Cena defender from way back. See any of the pre-WrestleMania columns from last year. I was totally Team Cena. I didn’t start getting on his shit so badly until recently, when the character took a derpy trip off the deep end.
If George W. Bush wanted to shake my hand a take a picture, I’d have a picture with George W. Goddamn Bush.
John Cena is no George W. Bush.
/Voted Gore, then Kerry, btw
KOFI KINGSTON GETS SHIT ON THE MOST I RECKON. UNLESS WE’RE COUNTING CREATIVE.
I would take an hilarious photo with Kofi. I mean hell, I’ve got one with Mr. Anderson, and he’s at least twice as bad as Kofi.
Teddy Long? That photo would be an instant treasure.
Brandon has shit on Rocky and Kofi more. Rock is worse than Cena.
I’ll find a Cena promo stupid, I’ll think a move he does is sloppy, I’ll roll my eyes if he goes over someone he deserves at least a dirty win. But I’ll never hate the guy. His theme music doesn’t send me into fits of rage like it does for hypocritical Rock fans.
This would have been an excellent opportunity to give Cena the old rabbit ears. That would show him how much he sucks.
B, you totally wouldn’t take a picture with Ryoma/Yo-Hey.
Wait, “fictional character”? It’s still real to me!!!
If this so called picture of Brandon with Kennedy exists we should be able to see it in all of it’s glory…RIGHT HERE NEXT WEEK ON BEST AND WORST OF RAW!!!!
As someone who didn’t particularly like best and worst in audio format, I will never understand the chutzpah of people that throw a hissy fit because they didn’t like something that they didn’t pay for.
…we watch WWE Monday Night Raw.
I get not liking it. I get saying you don’t like it. Opinion and all that. But bitching because you didn’t get the free content you wanted seems lame.
Brandon, as I tweeted, don’t worry about the idiots. Most of us loved it, and it made for great car listening on a LOOOOOONG drive home on Tuesday. You would be great on radio with that voice (seriously, I’m jealous) and Trew and Tami were awesome counterparts. As much as I enjoy reading B&W, if you did a few more with them (say, every PPV), I think that’d be a badass thing.
Hope I don’t sound too fanboyish, but for reals, you rock, the podcast was great and haters gonna hate.
Eh, I liked it. It was fine.
wheres the Best and Worst of RAW? Us folks who don’t have speakers on their work computers and get home too late to listen to the podcast…nvm
I’m writing it right now, friend.
Brandon mentioned in an earlier W/L post from this morning that it would most likely go up today.
+Thank You sir
I think this is the question that will one day force our beloved Brandon Stroud to “Hemingway” himself while the theme to Wrestlemania/Linda McMahon’s theme plays in another room.
@DJ Kicks
Headphones!
I really did enjoy the podcast and couldn’t wait to listen to Part 2, so I’m glad it’s up now.
Great stuff.
Not allowed. smh.
HEY DON’T CRY MATE
Ken Doll Giwl!
I don’t think I commented on the Elimination Chamber podcast, but, that’s also because I didn’t listen to it (I started a comment, but deleted it). So, rather than spew hatred, I’ll summarize why someone may feel upset at the switcheroonie:
As a whole, the WWE sucks. One could extrapolate and say that all wrestling sucks, given THIS BUSINESS, but, there it is. If others’ experiences are akin to mine, what makes the WWE NOT suck is the layer of depth (and community) added to it by something like the B&W column. Your B&W column. The column that allows us to ignore that majority suckage, and instead inflate, exonerate, and generally inject shared speculation and narrative to the Vince and Triple H’s lame product.
So, when that layer gets removed, the entire experience of partaking in WWE entertainment drops. Hell, I’d imagine folks that watched the Chamber might even go so far as to say “Man, I wasted 3 hours!” without the B&W Key there to unlock the magic ™ of the show.
Now, one may rebut: The column is still there, it’s just a podcast now! Podcasts are niche things, in a niche format, whereas columns are of a widely-distributed. Podcasts are for SuperFans that really want to invest in material. Blogs are for regular fans. Most of the audience is going to be regular fans, ::shrug::
This being the internet, and words apparently not working, rather than state “Man, it sucks that B&W is a podcast, because that makes me feel stupid for wasting my time with the Elimination Chamber, and feel even more stupid for all the anticipation I had for the column! That’s not your fault, but it still leaves me with egg on my face,” you get the flaming.
I’m sure the debate of “the elite audience of superfans” vs “the more passive, general audience” can be sparked up, and that’s probably healthy. But, the “entitled little bastards bitching about free stuff!” is kind of counterproductive. You need Superfans to generate the community, and you need (a greater number) of general fans to keep it alive.
And counterproductive is kind of Vince McMahony (My Superfans on the Internet are interested in my product?! I’ll show them! I’ll switch plans at the last second, even if it means sacrificing the better story!)
And that’s a ::sad trombone::
More like a Rusty Trombone.
*typed on a lonely typewriter in the wilderness*
/Everything is feeling fine like cherry wine.
/Cue up the somber music
Infighting in the community sucks and poisons it, is all.
YOU DON’T GET TO TRAVEL AND HAVE FRIENDS! TYPE FOR ME! AND EAT THIS GRUEL!!!! I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S SPELLED “GRUEL” OR “GRULE” AND I DON’T CARE TO FIND OUT!!!!!!
You had it right the first time, friend!
PRETTY SURE IT IS GRUEL. KNOW THE THINGS I KNOW, BUT DON’T SAY THINGS I DON’T KNOW, THAT ISN’T COOL TO TALK ABOUT A THING I DON’T KNOW ABOUT.
B/W didn’t becoming the best thing going by “Traveling and making friends!”.
I believe it’s Krusty Brand Imitation Gruel.
Also, you’re keeping me from actual work-related audio editing since I only have so many ears. Thanks, friend!
I just like you represent the Round Rock Express wherever you go.
They’re my geographical heart, and Spike is the only sports mascot I know who openly loves independent pro wrestling. I do what I can.
Well I know one person that won’t criticize Brandon. Gor.
I definitely would not mind monthly podcasts of the PPV Best and Worsts if it meant we got more free wrestling coverage.
HEY BRANDON I WAS ONLY TEASING WHEN I CALLED YOU A LAZY BASTARD FOR DOING A PODCAST. YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU LIKE AND I’LL KEEP COMING BACK. PLEASE TAKE EVERYTHING I EVER SAY WITH A PINCH OF SALT.
Cocaine works well too.
Is that a hoodie under a blazer you’re sporting, or is it some sort of hoodie with snazzy lapels?
probably a (THIS) BUSINESS hoodie
snazzy hoodie. I’m wearing my With Leather shirt under it.
Dude I was going to ask where you got that hoodie? I thought you were wearing a suit in the first pic and I was gonna be all “Aw man don’t wear a ball cap with a suit.”
But then it was actually a high class hoodie
To me, the thing about podcasts vs columns is that listening to a podcast, especially one of people who are friends, is that it feels like listening to people have a conversation with each other, whereas a column is a conversation directly with the reader.
I didn’t hate the podcast by any means, there were several times I laughed out loud, and Brandon certainly has the right to do whatever he wants to do; but I will just always enjoy the column format more.
I wonder if Cena has ring gear on under that suit and if the suit is tear-away
I’ve enjoyed all your previous podcasts, whether they were as guest appearances or the host, so I’m pretty sure I’ll like this one. Keep casting pods, Brandon, you’re pretty snazzy at them.
B&W is the only thing I read. I’ll go illiterate with out it!
Without is one word! It’s already begun!!
Brandon don’t let the weirdos get ya down with criticisms of your free product.
On another note, New Orleans getting all these big events doesn’t just make them the Sports Captial of America but I’m pretty sure it makes them the Sex Trafficking Hotbed of America as well. Good comes with the bad.
BCS Championship every 4 years, Sugar Bowl every year, Two pro franchises, Wrestlemania 30, More Superbowls than any other city, Men’s Final Four last year, Women’s Final Four this year, ARENA BOWL LAST YEAR, etc. etc.
It hasn’t always been the Sports Capital of America but it’s making a damn good run of it right now. Also, I’d love to hear cases for other cities (for real).
Also, thanks people for listening to the podcast. It’s New Orleans-centric so if you like that, subscribe and stick around.
New Orleans, if you read other sports writers, is almost universally praised as the best sports city for big events.
Chris/Jessica my point is that it may very well be the capital for sports events..but these big events that these big events bring with them an insane amount of sex trafficking. While the events can be good for a reason, they bring with them a horrific thing also.
[www.nola.com]
I hated the first nine minutes of the first podcast, but then it got funny.
Also, don’t gain any weight or you’ll enter Kevin Smith territory, and that’s a sad and contemptible land.
Mark Henry’s red wagon!
Way to be proactive, Rodger. So yeah, Brandon, in case you were planning on gaining 200 pounds, dying your beard, and switching to a hockey jersey exclusive wardrobe, don’t.
I know, I know. The truth can hurt. I remember when I myself wanted to gain 200 pounds, dye my beard, and wear nothing but hockey jerseys and talk about comics all day, but alas, Rodger said I would be entering Kevin Smith territory. And that’s a sad and contemptible land.
Man I love your articles, I really do, but you can’t take criticism like at all without lashing out at people.
this is your second comment this week about how people here don’t know how to take criticism, so maybe the problem is in how you deliver criticism. Or with how you think people are supposed to respond to it.
@Brandon, let me simplify your point: “if you run into an asshole in the morning, you ran into an asshole. If you run into assholes all day, maybe you’re the asshole.”
So I criticize and you respond by accusing me of being the problem. This is my point, I’m not out to get you, I really like your columns I just thought that the podcast wasn’t well done and others did as well and you responded as saying “people hate new things” and “you don’t get it”. I think that’s not a great way to take criticism. And to SHough’s point, “if you run into assholes all day, maybe you’re the asshole”, well if you get negative reviews of something you did all day, maybe what you did wasn’t very good.
If there was widespread criticism of a wrestler’s new gimmick and the wrestler just responded with “people hate change and new things and you’re the jerk for criticizing”, you’d give him all kinds of shit for that, right?
Kiposaurus: You’ll learn, like I have, that there’s no future in criticizing the guy who runs things here. I totally agree that Brandon has pretty thin skin. TOTALLY agree. I probably would too, in his position. But *telling* a guy that he doesn’t take criticism well is just going to turn a portion of this board against you. So it’s probably best to let it go.
4 people arguing?
HOLEONNA MINUTE, PLAYAS
Dammit, Caps, now I’m going to go out of my way to find groups of 4 people arguing.
ALL Y’ALL PLAYAS NEED TA HOLEONNA MINUTE!
TONIGHT, IN THAT VERY RING, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE OURSELVES A TAG TEAM MATCH!
My commute to work is pretty short (15 minutes) so it took me a couple days to finish the first B/W podcast. That was my biggest complaint. Next time I expect you to help a brother out and cause an accident on I-5 for me.
The screen grab from the press conference has all kinds of greatness in it. Reminds me of a random talk show audience.
Not sure if you got a chance to talk with Cena at any length, but I’m curious how he is in person. Does he seem to be “in character” all the time?
That’s not Big Johnny in the front row is it?
I was going to ask if that was msnbc politico Chuck Todd two rows back over the right shoulder of excited red blazer lady.
I liked the second episode more than the first, and I enjoyed the first one. I can listen to people talk about how awesome New Orleans is pretty much ad infinitum.
Brandon, did Rocky stop singing in the press conference because he was winded?
Also, Trew’s beard is immaculate
No problem with you posing with Cena or enjoying a podcast with your friend.
But trolling people for hating it is dumb. Calling them out for complaining about something “free” is awful because everything on Uproxx is free, like most other sites of this sort on the internet.
I didn’t like your podcast because it was full of “look at all these things we did in the crowd that we totally affected the crowd with” and “us us us, we walked out on Cena, so smart” stuff. It’s bad when people think they are the show; its worse when they brag about it.
Brandon, I’m not mad that you did a podcast. I’m mad that you found a way to get that ankle monitoring bracelet off that allows you to leave Austin without your brain exploding. :sighs: Back to the lab for me.
I liked this one better a lot more than Part 1. The conversation flowed a lot better, the stories were told better. It was just overall better. And nobody asked what HGH is.
Perhaps the whole B&W format isn’t suited for a podcast, but that an occasional wrestling discussion podcast does work?
Speaking as a purely objective internet commenter, and not a best friend/co-writer/With Leather contributer, this is pretty fucking great.
I am immediately disappointed that the Wrestlemania logo isn’t a Pelican steering a tugboat. Or a pelican hugging Tugboat. Or Tugboat riding a flying pelican. SO MANY WASTED OPPORTUNITIES, WWE.
Wrestlemania sign as a fish getting scooped up by a hungry pelican.
Tugboats can move so many barges.
I prefer to think that in the Cena photo, you were going for a McPoyle style fist pound. “Bump it…… bump it.”
Keep up the excellent work Brandon. And remember, criticism is like lube. If complete strangers are applying it to your online content, it means you’re a star.
Oh and after watching video of the press conference, I was really disappointed that I didn’t see a shoe fly on stage when Rock was up there, followed by two bearded-man-children being forcibly removed from the front row. Nothing personal.
You are the Kurt Angle.
So John Cena didn’t fist you?
Is this going to be anything like MotherBoy XXX?
The Rock pandering with “When The Saints Go Marching In” reminded me of the glee club episode of Saved by the Bell. If only Tori Spelling had stopped in to sing “Beautiful Dreamer.” That is all.
I love how obvious it is that you’re just about the only wrestling bro in the house. Kinda how I felt being the only “wrestling person” at the press junket for The Wrestler at the Four Seasons.
I like the podcast B&Ws, actually. You’ve got a good radio voice.